How much protein is in avocado?
Avocado has 1.4 g of protein per 1/2 medium (68 g) — that's 2 g per 100 g, or about 0.6 g per ounce. One 1/2 medium is roughly 3% of the 50 g Daily Value for protein.
USDA FoodData Central · raw · FDC 171705
Protein & macros by portion
| Portion | Protein | Calories | Fat | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 medium (68 g) | 1.4 g | 109 | 10 g | 5.8 g |
| 100 g | 2 g | 160 | 14.7 g | 8.5 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 0.6 g | 45 | 4.2 g | 2.4 g |
Values computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 171705, SR Legacy). raw.
Avocado shows up on a lot of “high-protein” and “healthy” lists, so people assume it must be a protein food. It isn’t. Half a medium avocado (68 g, a typical serving) carries about 1.4 g of protein — 2 g per 100 g — for roughly 109 calories. Eat the whole fruit and you’re still only at about 2.7 g of protein, but now ~220 calories. The honest one-liner for avocado is simple: it’s fat, not protein.
Why avocado is a fat food, not a protein food
What makes avocado unusual among fruits is its fat content. Half an avocado packs about 10 g of fat against that ~1.4 g of protein and only ~4 g of net carbohydrate. The overwhelming majority of that fat is monounsaturated — the heart-healthy kind associated with olive oil — which is exactly why avocado feels rich and satisfying. But it also means the calories are fat calories. You could never use avocado to hit a protein target without drowning in calories first; at ~220 per whole fruit for under 3 g of protein, the math simply doesn’t work.
What an avocado is genuinely great for
Read avocado for what it actually delivers and it’s a star. The monounsaturated fat supports heart health and helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins from the rest of your meal. The fiber is exceptional — about 4.6 g in half an avocado, which is more than most whole fruits — and it brings a surprising amount of potassium (~330 mg per half), plus vitamin K, folate, and vitamin E. That fat-and-fiber combination is genuinely filling, which is why avocado works so well as a satiety food. The catch, like other calorie-dense healthy fats, is portion awareness: half is a serving, and a whole one is a meaningful chunk of a day’s calories.
So treat avocado as the healthy fat that rounds out a meal, not the protein. The classic move is to pair it with a real protein source: avocado on toast is transformed by adding eggs on top, it’s a perfect partner for grilled chicken or salmon, and a few slices over a meal built on beans or Greek yogurt gives you the fat while the protein comes from elsewhere. To set your actual daily protein number, see how much protein per day — then let avocado do the job it’s brilliant at. Other foods people ask the same protein question about: almonds and banana.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in an avocado?
About 1.4 g of protein in half a medium avocado (68 g), which is 2 g per 100 g (USDA FDC 171705). A whole medium avocado lands around 2.7 g of protein for roughly 220 calories — most of those calories are fat, not protein.
Is avocado a good source of protein?
No. Half an avocado gives you only about 1.4 g of protein, so it's a fat source that happens to carry a trace of protein, not a protein food. The honest framing matters here: avocado is fat, not protein. Spread it on toast with eggs or fold it into a meal built around a real protein — don't count on it for the protein itself.
How much protein is in a whole avocado?
A whole medium avocado is about 2.7 g of protein and roughly 220 calories. Even eating the entire fruit barely registers on protein, while the calories climb fast because almost 15 g of fat rides along with every 100 g.
Is avocado protein complete?
Avocado actually does contain all nine essential amino acids, so technically its protein is fairly complete for a fruit — but there's so little of it (~1.4 g per half) that this is a trivia point, not a reason to eat avocado for protein.
What is an avocado actually good for nutritionally?
Heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (the same kind that makes olive oil a staple), plus standout fiber — about 4.6 g in half an avocado — and a solid dose of potassium (~330 mg per half), more than you'd guess. It's also rich in vitamin K, folate, and vitamin E. It's one of the best healthy-fat foods around; it's just not a protein.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 171705 (Avocados, raw, all commercial varieties; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when the underlying USDA entry changes.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data and are not assigned a Labelgrade — that score is for branded packaged products, where ingredients and added sugar/sodium actually vary. See our methodology and how much protein you need per day.